A Few Favorites from 2020

Happy New Year, dear friends!

I am ever so delighted to be back in my blogging space after a few lovely weeks of rest, relaxation and time spent doing some enjoyable homey things. How was your Christmas holiday? Are you keeping well these wintry days? Please do let me know how you are doing in the comments below.

For my first post in 2021, I thought it only seemed appropriate to share my top favorites from last year. These are the things that brought my happiness and delight and hours of fun. So, without further ado, here are my favorites from 2020...

Book

Without a doubt, the absolute best book I read in 2020 was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I read this in the autumn and it was the perfect cozy read. While there is a movie that was inspired by this novel, and it is certainly lovely and wonderful on its own, the book offers an entirely different depth to the characters that you just don't get in the movie. Quirky characters, a beautiful setting on the Guernsey coast, a book club of unlikely kindred spirits, a bit of mystery and a sweet romance blossoming slowly but surely. This book offered all of that and more...it felt so magical and inspiring and really I just wanted to go and join the Society. If you haven't read this book, I heartily recommend it and as for me, well, I can't wait to read it again!

TV Show

I have several recommendations in this section because it was entirely too difficult to choose just one. I'll start with Crash Landing on You. I began watching this series in late 2019 as it came out each week and continued on until the series ended in the late winter. Oh, this was a marvellously done Korean drama! And it being my very first one made it so special and memorable! My sister and I are watching it together and she is loving it too. I adore the main characters and love the humor sprinkled throughout the storyline. 

Cinderella and the Four Knights is another Korean drama that I watched in the springtime. This one is such a fun one! There were many times when I was laughing so hard, my stomach hurt and then other times when my heart was greatly touched by the characters' stories. My sister recommended this one to me after she loved it the previous winter. And she was right...it is a winner for sure! I think it would be a great K-drama to watch if you've never watched one before. You'll find yourself falling in love with the characters and even the ones you think you don't like, you'll end up having a place in your heart for. They aren't what they seem and their stories have made them who they are, and because of that, it shows you that listening to a person's story is important in order to get to know them truly and deeply.

The third show I loved in 2020 was yet another Korean drama. When the Weather is Fine takes place at the cutest little bookshop and that's what drew me in, to begin with. I so wish I could live in that bookshop...it's such a cozy, warm and welcoming place. The village community in this show was the sweetest and the book club meetings were filled with friendly faces always welcoming in whoever wanted to join in as a close friend. The main characters were wonderful in this drama as well and the story was far deeper than I ever imagined. While this drama is filled with emotional moments and heartwarming encounters, there's also a good deal of humor and fun thrown in so it's a perfect balance. I think this is the perfect show to watch in the wintertime as well.

Movie

Thanks to a kind recommendation on Instagram last autumn, I fell in love with The Hundred-Foot Journey just as soon as I watched it. Within the first half-hour, I could already tell that this was exactly my kind of movie. It has the same feel as Julie and Julia which is a movie that I dearly love as well. This movie really showcases the importance of family and dreaming together and kindness and not straying from your roots and values. I loved everything about this one! Oh, and the wardrobe of the female lead character is so dreamy! I wish I could just magically have those clothes appear in my wardrobe. {{winks}}

Music

Though these two artists aren't new to many, I was delighted to discover the music of JJ Heller and Ed Sheeran in 2020. JJ Heller's voice is calming and beautiful and her songs are the sweetest. I love how she puts so much care into the words she writes. Her instrumental lullaby album is also exceptionally beautiful; I believe that is her husband's music. And Ed Sheeran is someone who has been around for awhile now but I've just never listened to his songs more than just when I heard one on the radio or on a store's sound system. I don't listen to all of his music; some of his songs aren't what I would call appropriate. But the ones I listen to I really enjoy. (They're the background music whilst I'm writing this post.)

Project

Hands down, my most favorite project from last year are my patchwork curtains. I was so excited when I finished this project and they actually turned out how I imagined. I felt so proud of my very inexperienced sewing skills and how I went about it nice and slow and paid attention to what I was doing. I shared all about them HERE. It's been six months and I still love them...the fabrics are just so swoon-worthy. And anything patchwork has my heart immediately!

Discovery

My favorite "discovery" isn't really a discovery because it's YouTube. But I have been so encouraged and delighted this last year to find several channels that really speak to me. There are kindred spirits in a variety of areas that bring me much happiness and inspiration whenever I watch their videos. My sister has introduced me to several and the others I have just randomly stumbled upon, but I'm so glad I did.

Hobbies

My hobbies in 2020 were pretty much the same as they have been, but I did venture out with my knitting a bit. I have only ever knitted infinity scarves and cowls and last month I wanted to try something different. I made an earwarmer headband with a twisty knot in the center and after a few mistakes and having to take the yarn apart a few times, I was so thrilled when it actually turned out properly! I have made about five so far between my mom, sister and I and it is such a fun project for an evening. They are especially nice during these wintry days when it's cold outside. 

I also made quite a number of pompoms using bits of yarn that I had in my stash. I know that isn't rocket science, but I'd never made them before and for some reason, it always sounded like a complicated project. Now I'm addicted! Pompoms everywhere!   

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What are your favorites from 2020?

I'd love to hear all about what you loved most in 2020, so feel free to share below!

Do be sure to come back on Thursday for a fun announcement about a project I've been working on for the past several weeks. I can't wait to share it with you!

Have a lovely Tuesday, friends!

Stay cozy!

♥

Love and Joy Come to You, And a Happy Christmas, Too!

Peaceful valleys, mountaintops

No dark alleys, or sudden stops

This is my prayer

This is my prayer for you

Love is calling, starry skies

Always falling, but not for lies

This is my prayer

This is my prayer for you

May all your sweet dreams go unbroken

May every wish you've ever spoken

Come true

This is my prayer

This is my prayer for you

Celebrations, true blue friends

Revelations, and a heart that mends

This is my prayer

This is my prayer for you

Arms that welcome, doors opened wide

All your loved ones, gathered by your side

This is my prayer

This is my prayer for you

May all your days be filled with laughter

May all your prayers be quickly answered

This is my prayer

This is my prayer for you

(song by Reba McEntire)

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Dearest readers,

Christmas is fast approaching and I wanted to make sure I popped in here to wish you all a wonderful holiday.

Thank you all so very much for your kind words, comments and emails regarding my last post. My blog is here to stay, so no need to worry about that. I have been writing online for eight years this month and I love it more now than I did when I first started. There is still so much to share and lots more to write and many more endeavours that I wish to venture into. And I look forward to continuing on in 2021!

I will be stepping away from the blog until sometime in January. My family and I are working on our final Christmas preparations and getting ready for the grand holiday this weekend. Then it will be preparing for our New Year's Eve "nibble and hang out" yearly tradition that we love dearly. 

 

I wish you all the most lovely Christmas and a very happy new year. May you enjoy this Christmas season to the fullest and spend lots of time with your dearest ones. May you delight in the cozy traditions and delights that come with this time of year. No doubt that Christmas is different for some this year, and if that's the case for you, I hope you find some beauty and magic in your days and enjoy celebrating in ways that bring you comfort. Even if it's just you, there's still reason to celebrate and feast and savour the magic of the season.

And until next year, be blessed, dear ones!

Love and joy come to you,

And a happy Christmas too!

Love and peace,

Elizabeth

P.S.- Be sure to visit my blog in January for a fun and exciting announcement that I am so delighted to share!

Settling in for a Cozy Winter at Home

Winter is nearly here...just about another ten days and the season of coziness and gathering in and of home and hearth will be upon us. Candles flicker and their soft, gentle glow fills the room. The fireplace provides warmth and coziness. Mugs of warm drinks are held in cold hands bringing warmth back to the body while the drink warms us from the inside out. Comforting soups and homemade breads are in the kitchen ready to fill hungry bellies. The home is the central place for life's happenings in wintertime. And that's just how it should be because winter is the time for home.

This year, perhaps more than other years in recent history, the home will be the spotlight for our winter season. While everyone should be seeking to stay home as much as possible except for those very necessary outings such as grocery shopping or work and those delightful trips to the park or walking trail or nearby river for an afternoon in nature, this is the time to really savour the home. As I was pondering the beginning of winter and how home should be our focus this year due to the current worldwide pandemic (but really, always), I thought it would be most suitable for us all to share some of the lovely things that can fill our days and nights at home. Please realize that I am saying these things above and beyond the daily tasks and work that need to be done...these ideas are for all that extra time that so many are not accustomed to having to spend at home.

For starters, I have compiled a HUGE list of all my favorites...books (fiction and non), TV shows and movies. These are the things that bring delight and calm to our evenings as a family and I know they can do the same for you as well. I plan on updating this list as often as I find new favorites...which I hope to be very frequently. {{smiles}} You can find the list HERE. And as always, I love hearing your favorites so please, please do share them below. I have found so many new loves thanks to your kind and wonderful recommendations.

Another recommendation I have is, if you haven't already, do check out my Cozy Series that I posted in October. There are 31 posts all centered around the topic of coziness and home and hearth and gentle living. I share many thoughts and ramblings there on topics such as comforting soup and bread recipes, gentle homemaking rhythms, practicing teatime, the art of living slowly and softly, gently tending to your home, ways to bring beauty about as the days are shorter, mindfully tending to your heart, body and soul as well as reawakening your creativity and curating a cozy wardrobe...plus LOTS more. You can find all of the posts HERE.

 

One of the best ways to spend winter evenings, in my opinion, is to set to work on some handcrafts or learn a new skill. There's just something about that chilly air that sets something afire in me to get out my knitting needles and yarn. I love making cowls and have just started making earwarmer headbands this last month. Now I am addicted! They are so fun and easy to knit and make the perfect evening project. Perhaps you'd like to make some paper stars to bring beauty to your home this winter. We have quite a number of them throughout our home and we just love it! They are so cozy and have an old-fashioned charm about them you just can't get from something storebought. I shared a video tutorial HERE. And with the current worldwide pandemic, perhaps making a few masks would come in handy. Here's my super easy tutorial for sewing masks...find it HERE.

Enjoying tons of family time is a beautiful blessing this time of year. I'm a big-time believer in families spending as much time together as possible...there's no such thing as too much togetherness! Game nights are a great way to do this. And goodness knows that there are tons of games out there for us to enjoy...board games, card games, imaginative games. Heck, even games you make up yourself! Also spending time at the dinner table after the meal is finished and just chatting. It amazes me how many families do not eat together anymore or even have daily conversations beyond "how are you" or "what's the weather like today". Honestly, I find it absurd and heartbreaking and ridiculous all at the same time. It doesn't have to be that way...make this winter the change.

The kitchen calls in a special sort of way this time of year. Whether it's baking cookies or homemade bread to go alongside your dinner or chopping and sauteing veggies for a soup or stirfry, I love spending time in the kitchen the most during this time of year. We love our old family favorites but also have way too much fun trying new recipes. Sometimes we'll do a cooking challenge and only cook out of one cookbook for an entire week. Or we might want to go vegan for a  set amount of time. Or we sometimes enjoy Friday night pizza parties while watching a favorite show. Other nights a dinner of finger foods is fun and different. We also love our Soup and Bread Sundays, which can't be beaten. Tea parties are a favorite in our home, whether it's just my mom, sister and me or if we invite a few friends over (not this year, though!). Sometimes we go all out and other times we keep it quite simple. No matter what, though, it's always heaps of fun in both the preparations and the feasting. Check out all my tea party posts and recipes HERE.

Getting fresh air is important anytime, but especially in the winter when we are spending more time inside. We love sitting around our firepit in the evenings and chatting or listening to Irish trad music. Afternoon drives through the country are another top favorite, especially if we pack snacks and drinks to enjoy along the way. We have several small parks nearby that are never too busy so we can easily walk around there and I especially love taking my camera along, too. Even just a simple ramble through our own garden is hugely beneficial for both physical, mental and emotional health. Being outdoors this time of year can be tons of fun, we just make sure to bundle up and keep warm with hats, gloves and a scarf along with a thick coat. Breathing in that crisp winter air is so invigorating and makes you feel so alive. There's nothing like it!

There are tons more ideas for ways to enjoy home this winter; these are just a few of my top favorites. As we all settle in for a cozy winter at home, may we remember the goodness of home and the haven that it is as we are choosing to center ourselves at home in order to protect ourselves, our families and others. It's just the right thing to do. And it doesn't have to be a negative or depressing thing. You have the power to make it a magical, beautiful, most wonderful time at home...the best winter ever. Just be creative, grateful and allow your imagination and childlike heart to come alive. Oh, the fun we will have!

What are your favorite things to do as you settle in for a cozy winter at home? Do share below!

Stay home and savour the goodness of your cozy haven. Stay safe and be grateful for the ability to do so in order to protect yourself and others. Wear a mask and make wise, thoughtful decisions when it comes to socializing. Most of all, keep calm and carry on. Better days are on their way if we do our part in allowing them to get here. 

Pause and breathe in that fresh, wintry air...allow it to fill your lungs. Look up at the sky and remember how big and grand and wonderful this world is.  Run your hands along the bare branches of a tree and remind yourself that everything has its season and all is made beautiful in its own perfect time. Listen to the quiet stillness that winter brings and be filled with that peace allowing it to exude through and from you. Slowly sip your hot tea or coffee and be grateful that you can be warmed from the inside out with such a delicious drink. Close your eyes and feel the magic of winter...imagine the snow fairies dancing around you and the Jack Frost waving his wand over the land to create a shimmery icy morning. It's there, friends...the magic and wonder. Don't let it get past you. Savour. Slow. Notice.

Thanksgiving Ramblings & Making Room for Christmas

Hello, friends!

How are you on this fine November day after Thanksgiving? How was your feast yesterday? 

Our day was an exceptionally lovely one...it was spent at home, as usual for us on Thanksgiving with just us four (along with our fur babies), and was a casual, relaxed, slow day. On Wednesday evening, my mom, sister and I made our two pies...pumpkin and chocolate, we prepared the stuffing and sweet potato casserole and made the dough for the rolls. Then, on Thursday afternoon, my mom cooked the turkey with a wonderfully delicious herb and apple glaze. It was divine! And then whilst it was in the oven, we prepared the rest of the sides...green beans, corn, carrots and peas, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and gravy. We feasted by candlelight and enjoyed our meal thoroughly, as well as the laughter that came as we chatted at the table. After the dishes were washed and the leftovers were put away, we decided to head out for a little drive right around where we live to see some Christmas lights. We ended up in some new-to-us places, which is always quite funny because it always feels like we have seen every inch of our city. But it always amazes us when we come across a new area or neighborhood, and especially when we end up lost and going in circles for what seems like forever...like what happened last night. It gave us a good chuckle, though. 

Our night ended with pie...my favorite is the chocolate cream, and getting our Christmas tree from the shelf in the garage. We set it up and admired the lights but have yet to add any ornaments. I also hung a few of my paper stars with some twinkly fairy lights on the window in our living room to just barely start our Christmas decorating. We shall continue this weekend... and really, on until right before Christmas because we always find last-minute crafts or projects that we want to do and add to our decorations.

As we begin to make room and prepare for Christmas in our homes, it only seemed appropriate to make room for Christmas here on my blog. My sister and I had the best fun a few nights ago creating a little photoshoot with fairy lights and some Christmas favorites. She has a real knack for placing things in the perfect places and making it look perfect! I think the photos came out with such a cozy vibe about them and they feel so Christmasy, too. {{smiles}}

I'd love to hear about your Thanksgiving weekend and what you are doing to make room for Christmas in your home? Do share below!

Happy weekend, friends! Enjoy these last days of November!

♥

Old-Fashioned Handcrafts ♥ Making Paper Stars || A Vlog!

Hello, dear friends!

How are you on this lovely November morning? We are slowly beginning our Christmas preparations. Our autumn decorations have been taken down and placed in their boxes which will make their way to the attic this week, upon which the Christmas boxes will make their way down for the season. It's quite lovely going out and about lately because all of the local businesses and towns are already decorated with twinkly lights and Christmas trees and candy canes and snowflakes. It makes the towns sparkle with an extra special touch this time of year and surely makes everything more beautiful!

Last week, I got bit by the crafting bug and was quite busy all week with one project after another. It all started with a set of pompoms which I made for Christmastime. That inspired me to make a set for winter. Then, that led me to knit my mom a cowl in a wonderful dusty coral color. It was my first cowl of the season, but rest assured, I've got a bag full of yarn just waiting to be made into cowls. Plus, I've found another little project that I want to knit up very soon. Finally, my week ended with two nights of paper star making. I ended up making about 24 stars, so yes, our home will be full of hanging paper stars this Christmas and upcoming winter season. I, for one, couldn't be happier! I think they are the cutest things and I adore their old-fashioned charm!

On the second night of my crafting, I decided to film a tutorial. It ended up being a little longer than I originally anticipated because I wanted to show a few different patterns for cutting the stars. You can, of course, do any sort of pattern you want. These are just my favorites...so far!  

This couldn't be an easier craft, but the results are stunning, if I do say so myself. I was ecstatic with how lovely the stars turned out and I feel that they add a whimsical, magical touch to any room, especially when there are twinkly fairy lights hung as well. The supplies are so simple; they're probably already in your cupboards. I think that you'll find, as I did, that these are quite addictive to make and you just may find yourself with a house full of hanging paper stars as well...I really don't think that's a bad thing, though. {{winks}}

You can watch my new vlog HERE.

Happy crafting, friends! 

Do let me know what you're making at home this season!!!

♥

 

Stories That Build Civilization

“I read old books because I would rather learn from those who built civilization 

than from those who tore it down.”

I’ve been pondering this quote for a few weeks now; it’s always been a favorite of mine. And it’s quite convicted me! There are so many still seeking to tear down civilization and destroy what matters most...the home and traditional family. How rare it is these days to find books with life and a family centered at home without women focused on career!!! I’ve been working on a book list of stories that I want to read that very much value and cherish those things...and have decided that shall be my bookish focus for the next while. Along with a list of things to watch along the same lines. I believe it’s important to fill oneself with beauty and goodness, and to be one of those who builds up civilization, even, maybe especially, in our modern day.

So, my question to you is: what books do that for you? What books value and cherish home and traditional family and fill you with beauty and goodness? What books build up civilization?

 Do share because I’d love to add to my list!!

Simple Girl's Diary ♥ November 5, 2020

 "It was homemaking that mattered. Every home was a brick in the great wall of decent living that men erected over and over again as a bulwark against the perpetual flooding in of evil. But women made the bricks, and the durableness of each civilization depended upon their quality, and it was no good weakening oneself for the brick-making by thinking too much about the flood."

Reading "Pilgrim's Inn" by Elizabeth Goudge seems like the perfect antidote for these days in which we live. As I was reading last night, Grandmother Lucilla was sitting in her chair surrounded by her daughter and son, Margaret and Hilary, as well as her daughter-in-law, Nadine. She was quietly listening into their conversation as her mind was wandering to thoughts of a dear one who has passed on and trying to pay attention to what they were saying. But she realized that they were speaking "about the deplorable state of the world, about that terrible bomb, about famine and inflation and chaos and death and her mind shied away from their talk like a terrified horse." Instead, she sought to pray and enjoy the things that were left...things of beauty and goodness. And then she cried out that THIS is what matters and she spoke the words that I quoted above.

Truly, those words seem appropriate for these days. Days in which tension is high and chaos is rampant. And in those days, I think we need to be reminded over and over again, that THIS is what matters...home and family and love and cherishing a gentler, softer, slower way of life. That THIS within our home…quietness and peace and gathering together and feasting with those with whom we share our sacred space. That THIS beauty right smack in front of our faces...is what truly counts and matters.

Despite all the noise and chaos out there and all the anxiety and overwhelming heaviness we all feel, I think that there is still good out there and so much of it, perhaps most of it, exists in THIS, just as Grandmother Lucilla said. 

I am finding this Goudge novel (my first one!) a comfort to my weary soul and a hearty dose of beauty in these heavy days. I'd highly recommend visiting the @elizabethgoudgebookclub page on Instagram if you're over there for lots of Goudge goodness!