tip-toe through the tulips (& some lovely quotes)

 

What are my hobbies? Home -- everything that makes it cozy and comforting. Homemaking, decorating, cooking, hospitality, thrifting, taking care of my people, and creating a peaceful place to rest.

~ The Gingham Cottage ~

Dreams are like seeds. You don't wake up one morning to a forest. You water. You wait. You believe. And then one day -- you see green where there was only soil.

~ Nabalo ~

...That it's possible to be satisfied with what you have; that if you have a house and a flower garden and the assurance of daily bread, it is enough. Life is wonderful to-day, Margaret, very wonderful.

~ Gene Stratton-Porter ~

Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher.

~ William Wordsworth ~

Living in that childish wonder is a most beautiful feeling. There was always something more- behind and beyond everything- to me, the golden spectacles were very, very big.

~ Kate Greenaway ~

The world needs the home. If there are only workers and no homes, then man will become nothing more than a piece of machinery; children will certainly be trampled. Beauty will be drained out of life.

~ Leila Marie Lawler ~

You'll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. March to the beat of your own drummer. And stubbornly refuse to fit in.

~ Mandy Hale ~

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Thank you for visiting my little corner...I hope these tulips brought you as much cheer and whimsy as they brought me when I came across them one day whilst out running errands and I just had to turn the car around and pull over to capture the springtime beauty. And I hope these quotes inspire and encourage you as much as they did me...they're some of the newest additions to my collection.

And mostly, I hope that your day is peaceful, lovely, and full of small moments filled with delight.

our sweet noelle ivy ♥ & a book club update

 

Hello, reader friends!

You find me here today with a broken heart, as we had to say goodbye to our sweet Noelle Ivy on Wednesday morning. The previous week we noticed she wasn't acting like her usual self, so we took her into the vet's office. Over several days and tests and treatments, we learned that her initial diagnosis was much more serious than originally thought. And on top of that, she was actually getting worse. Her little kitty body had so much going on inside, and she just couldn't recover. It was some very serious stuff, and her vet did her absolute best at trying to get her better. But, sadly, on Wednesday morning, we had to say goodbye to our sweet fur baby girl.

Honestly, this is very, very hard for me. For my mom and sister, too. And for our other cats, as they are all so close...they're a little posse. {{smiles}} I've really been struggling with her being sick and passing away. For us, our pets have never been "just animals" or "just pets", they are seriously important parts of our family, and her being gone really hits hard. I am struggling to just type this post out.

She had the spunkiest personality and was such a talker...she was the sweetest girl. Her vet said she would have made the perfect emotional support animal, and that was such a way to describe Noelle. She basically was that for my dad when he was sick and even in his final couple of days...she sat or laid with him nearly the entire final 6 weeks of his life. She was our only outgoing, extroverted cat, which was quite entertaining to watch as she loved poking her head in everyone's business. And, most of all, she was the most loving cat...in the photo above she is resting her head on my shoulder as I worked on my computer one evening a few years back. She loved being held and cuddled and being with her people as much as possible.

Our sweet Noelle Ivy was ten and a half years old and what happiness and laughter and joy and love she brought to our home and lives. These days are so difficult getting used to her not being here. To say we are missing her is an understatement. She was our baby girl...and such a cute one, too. ♥

Cats come into our lives to leave paw prints on our hearts and we are forever changed.

Such words could definitely be said about our Noellie...she was such a very special kitty. 

{{ We love you, sweet girl. ♥ }}

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

With that being said, I have decided to postpone the April book club to May. So May's book choice is Because of Winn-Dixie, and I will post the discussion on Sunday, May 25th. I will announce June's book choice then, as well.

Thank you for reading today's post, and for being here. I hope you have a lovely Easter weekend!

some springtime sewing sweetness ♥ boho crossbody & foldaway tote projects

Mornin' readers!

What a lovely April Thursday it is! My, oh my! The last ten days or so have been nothing less than incredibly stressful in my corner of the world. We have had some tremendous spring weather over this past week and a half. It all began on the weekend before last with some storms and whatnot that, thankfully, amounted to nothing much at all. We were in a 3 out of 5 risk category, but fortunately, it all went around us and we barely got any rain at all from that. Then, last Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, we were in a 5 out of 5 risk category for storms, tornadoes, hail, strong wind, you name it. My anxiety was through the roof...spring weather and risk of tornadoes does not set well with me. I've lived in the same place my whole life, and thankfully, we've never had any really horrific weather. But we do have several episodes of warnings and watches throughout the spring, and it makes me incredibly nervous every time. I spent about 8 hours straight watching the local weather Wednesday evening and another hour or so in the wee hours of the morning, when I was kept awake by tornado sirens going off in the distance, loud thunder, and heavy rain hitting the roof and windows. While we were very fortunate and are very thankful for how it all turned out for us, some towns not too far away did have destructive tornadoes destroy much of the towns and many home and buildings and schools.

But it wasn't over yet...then began the flooding. And ever since our area has been experiencing historical floods. Our sunroom flooded partially on Thursday evening, and we became best friends with a wet/dry shop vac. (Thankfully Lowe's was having a good sale on them! And they were selling out of them, too!) Our garage was flooded inches deep, and we couldn't get out unless we had our tall rainboots on. Friday was a break day as no rain fell...and we spent the afternoon at our local library book sale, which was loads of fun and a much-needed reprieve from the previous two days. But the rain returned on Saturday, and we tended to our sunroom every 15-30 minutes for most of the day, using the shop vac to get any water up that came in. Sunday brought some rain, and as much as I do love rain, this rain was incredibly stressful. We couldn't wait for it to stop! And on Monday, lo and behold, the sun came out and I don't think I've ever been so glad to see sunshine in all my life. 

So...that's how our April started...how's your April going so far?

 

In late March, I decided to get back to some crafting and projects. And sewing was first on that list. I've been wanting to make a purse for some time now. I've been using the same two purses for probably ten years, and they're both starting to come apart...and they're my favorite style, too. I haven't had any luck finding a purse that I like in the stores. So my sister suggested I make my own...I'm so glad she gave me that idea.

I knew exactly what I wanted...so I began searching online. I looked and looked until I found "the one". This is a boho style crossbody. And I decided to make it patchwork, because anything patchwork has my heart. You can see the patchwork curtains I made for my room a few summers back right here. 

Most of the fabric I used was already in my stash, so I only needed to pick out a few fabric designs to compliment the others. I wanted floral patterns along with complimentary patterns, lots of colors, and a warmer palette. I added a ribbon and button closure as well. This project took me just under 8 hours, as much of that time was spent cutting out many, many squares of fabric. And it was the very first project I did by myself without having to ask for help in understanding the pattern. My sister did help me in arranging the different squares of fabric according to pattern and color...she is much better at that than I am.

(Oh, and I only had to use the seam ripper once in this entire project...and my lovely sister kindly did that for me.)

I am so pleased with the result, and I definitely want to make this purse again in a couple other color palettes for different seasons. There are a few things that I want to adjust on future bags, but overall, I really, really love how it turned out.

To be creative is to let little pieces of your heart go and place them into each project you make.

~ Pat Bravo ~

I am obsessed with the fabrics I chose...florals and patchwork just go so well together.

I am planning on making a few drawstring pouches to keep things in to put in my purse. I'll share those once I get around to making them.

My sister has also been working on quite a few crafting projects, and the very first one she completed was a foldaway tote for me to keep in my purse. I've been wanting one of these for awhile now...and I just love what she made me.

I specifically wanted a tote that wasn't too big nor too small. It needed to be easily rolled up to keep in my purse. And I wanted it to be colorful!

I am obsessed with this tote...I think my sister did a fabulous job. I chose fabrics that we already had in our stash...pretty pinks that are so happy and cheerful to look at. This tote is the perfect size for holding books I pick up at the library or used bookshop or a few snacks for the go and even my journals and pens and camera. It's practically perfect in every way. {{smiles}}

Sewing my purse brought me so much joy and fun. It made me realize that I really need to sew more often! And I can't wait to begin using my purse once I get my two pouches made. There's something so satisfying about completing a project for something that you've wanted to make and having it turn out successfully.

Have you been working on any crafting projects recently?