Bedside Table

At the barn sale I mentioned earlier, I found this sweet little old cabinet that I thought would work beside my bed.

I wasn't going to buy it (hubs had just been lecturing me about buying junk), but when I saw that it was only$5, I just couldn't resist!

It looked and smelled like it had been in a barn for a few years (not kidding!) and was naturally distressed, so I just cleaned it up really well (Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works wonders!) and here it is!

The Diary

I was at a barn sale this past weekend and bought an old diary for 25 cents.

I'm always facinated by how other people live and, although this diary isn't that old (from the 1970's), the author is a Mennonite woman and because of their lifestyle, you would think that it was the 1870's!

From what I can gather, she is in her 50's, has 3 children, lives on a farm, likes to quilt, and makes tons of butter!

Here are some of my favorite excerpts...

"April 17, 1978 27 above zero, I milked the cow, the hiathius (?), mountain pinks, and violets are blooming. The cats have a cold. Dad dug garden, the hens had a nest behind the curtain. Big eggs. I ironed. I must chase sparrows, I can't shoot."


"May 1, 1978 A clear day, want to sow cow peas. Frost. Wash dried good. I ironed nothing, planted cow peas and took milk over to Viola."

"Aug. 7, 1977 I milked the cow at the wood pile with a rope and no chair."


"Sept. 9, 1977 A nice day. I am canning apple sauce, have 8 qts. done. I picked the kidney beans. We had lettuce out of the garden. Good sleeping weather. We are picking peaches at the chicken house - it is full."

"Sept. 18, 1978 It is a quiet morning. I crossed the road before 4:30am - the moon was so bright I could see. Tomato for breakfast."


"Sept. 19, 1978 A good rain. I want to pick tomatoes, beans, and can peaches. Joe Hoover is still in hospital. I want to stop eating so much."

"Sept. 21, 1978 I want to take peaches to Susie Moor. I am afraid of the dog. Ada could not eat her egg. A nice morning. Liz took the butter to Eby."

"Oct. 2, 1978 The stars are shining. I have to pick up the walnuts. I fetched the cow last night when dad was sleeping. I picked up apples and made pumpkin and ground cherry pies."

Whew! It's exhausting just reading about how hard this woman worked!

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On another note, here is the state of our little room that we are renovating. Demo is complete and hubs is working on installing insulation and plywood today.

And I'm just trying not to let the extra dirt and dust that is floating around my house drive me nuts! It'll be worth it, right? Ugh.

I'm so anxious to see what it'll look like when it's done! Yay for handy husbands!!

Spring Blooms

I'm sitting on my porch watching the roses literally bloom right before my eyes!

So incredibly beautiful!

NYC

We took a quick trip to New York City last weekend with our friends Kent & Sheila. It's my second-favorite city (next to Paris, of course!) and it was fun to do some exploring and lots of eating!


We left Avery at home with her Grandma and took Jack along. He loved all the walking! Although he didn't care too much for the subways, since he nearly got suffocated from the crowds of people!


This was a cute little flower shop called Posies. How adorable is that name?!


We had brunch at Cafe Lalo (from "You've Got Mail")...so yummy!



Their dessert display looked like heaven on earth!


The atmosphere of the cafe was very cool - eclectic & European.


More sightseeing...


The famous Plaza Hotel...unfortunately, it was not the hotel we stayed at!


Rockefeller Center...



Being goofy with a huge mirror at Saks Fifth Avenue..."no thanks, we're just browsing"!

Good times!

Oh the things you'll find!

I have such a weakness for finding a good bargain! I'm telling ya, it's addicting! Here are the latest...

My mom found this cute little bedside table for my nursery at Goodwill. It was a little banged up, so I banged it up even more (distressed it) and painted the handles dark brown (they were shiny brass).



I found these adorable, delicate dishes at GW this week. Hubs just sighs when he sees that I bought more dishes. I just can't help myself!

I love the design - they are perfect for a brunch with girlfriends! Wanna come?


I've been looking for a magazine holder for a while and liked this one from GW.


This book by Wendy Bellissimo (also from GW) fits what I'm doing right now - working on designing Jack's new nursery. So fun!!

I also found the most perfect curtains for his new room - and at $2 for 3 panels, you just can't beat the price!

New windows are ordered, so the nursery project is beginning. I'm pretty much done with the decorating, and we haven't even started demolition on the room yet! (and it will require lots of demo!) I think I may be getting ahead of myself! What else is new?

It's Official!

Summer is just around the corner! I can feel it!

Corn on the cob, barefeet, trips to the beach, walking to the park, eating ice cream cones, hearing the birds chirp, smelling the flowers blooming, opening the car windows, cotton skirts, fresh strawberries, riding bikes, bbqs with friends...

Ahhh! Can you tell I LOVE summer?!

Avery & her little girlfriends playing at our friends' idyllic backyard.

Tea with the girls

My mom's birthday and Mother's Day are always close together, so this year my sister and sister-in-laws and I decided to take my mom out for tea to celebrate at Ye Olde English Shoppe.


We had such a fun time drinking tea (orange squash for me!), eating some amazing scones, laughing, and planning our upcoming trip to New York City (I tried to convince them that Paris would be more fun!).

Here are all the girls with mom in the middle. We have SUCH a good time together!


My sister-in-law Heather and my sis Sara...


The tea shop is run by the sweetest British ladies and they just made us feel so welcomed and relaxed! Loved the atmosphere!

Another Skirt Project

I recently finished this skirt that I started last Thanksgiving. I know, I'm a speedy seamstress!

Don't look too close - you can tell a beginner made it! But at least I'm trying! (and please forgive the pasty white legs!)


My favorite parts of sewing are fabric shopping and designing what I want to make. The sewing part just takes too much patience and drives me a little crazy!

I loved these colors and fabrics!

~ ~ ~ ~

And this is what we've been doing a lot lately...watching it rain and rain and rain.

The first thing Avery does in the morning is pull on her socks and flip flops and goes out on the porch to play with the "umbellela", with her nightgown still on.

I know - where is her mother??