CSA week 7

CSA pick up seemed pretty sparse this week...

a pint of cherry tomatoes, 1 squash, 2 small cucumbers, 4 slicing tomatoes, a bag of shallots, 2 garlic cloves and a half dozen brown eggs.

Here's the CSA pick of the week! (Except ... I don't know what kind of squash it is or how to cook it...)

Update: It's a scallop squash, a.k.a. patty pan squash.

So my corn is completely dead after I pulled it all up. I peeled back part of a really sad looking corn husk and indeed, it was drying up. Boo! The drought is only going to get worse ... and I wonder what it will do to the CSA farms?

But for now, we're enjoying a bountiful harvest of multicolored tomatoes and I put them all together. Pretty huh?

(Here's to hoping little fingers stay out of them ...)

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And, here's a few pictures of recipes I made last week with CSA ingredients. We are really enjoying all of the fresh goodness. (Disclaimer: I do not claim to be a food photographer, so if my photos gross you out, my apologies.) 

First up, Margherita Pizza with whole wheat crust, garlic/olive oil herb sauce, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes.

Feta, cucumber and tomato salad with salt, pepper, balsamic and oil dressing.

Purple potatoes = lavender mashed potatoes. Kind weird, but tasted the same.

And, finally, a European specialty ... tomato slice topped with a piece of fresh mozzarella and a basil leaf then drizzled with olive oil. YUM!

Until next time, friends!

CSA - week 6

Our CSA pick-up this week provided a very large head of fennel, three small - med kholrabi, one large yellow squash, a pint of yellow and red cherry tomatoes, a bunch of basil (yum!), 1-1/2 lbs yellow onions and 1-1/2 lbs purple potatoes.

And the CSA pick-of-the-week is ... purple potatoes! Actually she called them "blue" but they look pretty purple to me. I cut the tiniest one in half so you (and I) could have a peek.

I need to get back to meal planning (vacation threw that off a little bit) - my poor dear husband. He needs some sustenance after working all day! Haha. So, I'm going to look up fennel recipes - unless any of you have good ones! - and braise the kholrabi as a side.

As for my garden, it's several tomatoes ...

... and some sad lookin' corn vs. the heat.

Pretty sure it's not gonna make it. But, we'll see.



And, finally, the recipe I promised you last week for cabbage:

Japanese Ramen Noodle Salad

1-2 whole seasoned grilled chicken breasts (slivered)
2 T. sesame seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2-1 head cabbage, finely shredded
2 green onions, chopped
1 pkg oriental-flavored Ramen noodles

Dressing:
1 T. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 pkg seasoning from Ramen
1/2 t. pepper (or to taste)
3 T vinegar

Toast sesame seeds and almonds in a 300 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Combine chicken, sesame seeds, almonds, cabbage, onions. Mix dressing ingredients. Toss cabbage mixture with dressing and noodles right before serving.

Enjoy!!

Upcycled Retro Throw Pillows

(I have a feeling things will be a little bit slow around here the next few days, but bear with me. I have projects to finish, just a bit of slowing down to do amidst my jobs and family. So, if I'm MIA around this joint, you know not to worry.)


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My sewing machine seems to work in spurts these days. I tried again the other night and successfully have sewn a project I've been meaning to do for awhile! I LOVE finishing these envisioned projects - especially when they've been longer in the works than necessary. 


Insert "Upcycled Retro Throw Pillows" !


Unfortunately, my scissors beat me to taking a "before" picture - which happens much too often! Sorry. It was just a sleeveless cross-bodice A-line simple handmade retro (think flower power) dress. I wore it to one college function, but it was a bit too tight up top. And, if you know me, that pretty much means any normal person couldn't wear it.


So, I cut it up.

Added some awesome vintage salmon polyester (never been used by my grandma) and ta da!!

Amazing (in my opinion), retro, flower power throw pillows. Check 'em out here! 

34 years

(happy anniversary to my wonderful parents!!)

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CSA - Weeks 4 & 5

happy 4th to all those Stateside. (I'm sure there will be more on our laid-back festivities tomorrow, but for now...)

CSA pick-up last week wasn't happening without a kind friend to kick it on over to the farm and pick-up for us.

She said there was ... 2 small cabbages, a small bunch of broccoli, leeks, basil, peaches, and eggs.

This week (week 5!) there was:

2 mini cabbages, celery, beets, eggs, cherry tomatoes, green beans and red potatoes

Wahoo! The celery is more leaves than stems, so I'll probably try to use those and I'm not sure about the green cherry tomatoes. Does anyone know? Will they ripen if they're picked green? Or do we need to find a green tomato recipe?

And ... my CSA pick-of-the-week is these beauties.

Farm fresh eggs are such a treat to those on a low food budget - and it's not like we live in Amish country to just pick up a few on the side of the road (ahem, in-laws).  The taste is great, the yolk is a lovely orange and I don't think I'd need to refrigerate them if I didn't have to. I love it!

We've also gathered in a little from our garden (which is slowly withering away from the intense heat ...).

Some garlic.

And my cherry tomatoes have started to turn red!! There are so many on the two bushes I have yet to ripen, but I am excited (and I'm willing to water them so they live too)!

I've gotten so much cabbage - I'll share a cabbage recipe next week with you that is easy, delicious and we love!

Until then... sayonara!

star-spangled romper to dress

This was the girl's 4th of July outfit last year.

Except, it was too big. WAY too big. This year, she fits perfectly! However, I wanted her to wear some navy and white starred capri leggings I thrifted with it. Over the ruffly rompered bottom was no good!

So, since it was knit, I promptly cut off the legs and now she can wear it as a little dress and leggings. (It also came with a "baby's first 4th" bib, which she wore last year, but is obviously irrelevant now...)

I'm not much of a "themed" clothing type girl, but this idea was fun, we already had the outfit, and we might as well celebrate!!


KC friends - where is the best place to view 4th of July fireworks in your opinion?? We still have yet to find a place. Any other must-see 4th of July celebrations?

this week's CSA (week 3)

Here's what was in this week's CSA bag:

3 stems broccoli, 2 lbs new potatoes, half dozen brown eggs, 

6 small peaches, 1 med head cabbage, 2 lbs carrots

Remember last week's red raspberries? They were SO tasty and we ate them plain with sweetened whipped cream.

YUM!

We also tried baked kale chips and they were a hit, even with the girl! I've altered the cooking time in the recipe below because I think ours were a little over-salted and definitely over-baked. Watch them closely! 

Baked Kale Chips

1 bunch (about 6 ounces) kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool. Eat right away!

Asa's nursery fixin's (sneak peek)

Remember my inspiration post for little Asa's nursery linens?

I'll do a full nursery guest post after everything is finished in August, but for now, here's a sneak peek at the skirt and one sheet so far! The yellow is more golden, but it's bright and so fun.

The curtain is also finished - it's basically a replica of the tailored skirt. 

We'll be working on the bumper and pillows next week when there will be four family seamstresses (using that term lightly, at least for myself) together to get the rest done.

His crib looks a little lonely without it - don't you think?  Time to dress it up!

(Can't wait for this little guy to arrive!)

father's day cards

For father's day, I put in a couple of hours of card making. I have gotten away from making cards, but something spurred me on to put together personalized cards based on a favorite hobby with a corny saying for the dads in our lives.

We're going to see my dad in a few days to go fishing (and boating and skiing and vacationing). Thus, this card. (The yellow fin sticks out.)

My father-in-law plays the guitar and so I made a guitar with three real strings. And then teased him about the monasteries he goes to ...

And last but definitely not least, the girl's father's day card to Jeremy - Mario. And yes, I cut out and glued every. single. last. little. piece. And found it pretty amazing myself.

Caption inside: "Daddy, you're so awesome, you beat Super Mario!"

Happy father's day to the dads in our lives!! We love you to the moon and back and are so thankful we have YOU.

Love,

us

Living Simply: a conclusion

"'Enough' is having our survival needs met (food, clothing, shelter), having possessions that bring joy and comfort and even having those few special luxuries that add to the quality of our life." *

source

Simply... living simply for me is one step at a time. Realistically, my family can't live like the Zero Waste family. We just don't have the resources to do that.

And do we want to? I don't really think so. I think many of the ideas are great but as a whole, I'd like to fall somewhere in between Zero Waste family and Crazy Consumers.

Balance, friends, it's all about it.


But just recently, it struck me. Simplicity looks different for each person.

So, some will live on one end of the spectrum, but most float somewhere in the middle, finding their way in our crazy world.

One friend sees it much like I do, living life really well without having to buy new, buy expensive, buy lots.

Another just tries to max out her family's fun time with the least amount of money as possible.

And still another considers carving out distraction-free time to spend with her husband.


huh. 


Simplicity can be as easy or as complicated as we make it, but I'm pretty convinced that the philosophy of living simply doesn't equate with definition of the word "simple". It isn't easy, especially since life in the US doesn't always lend itself to this somewhat counter-cultural way of living. It takes work.

But it is rich. Full of life and wonder.

And I choose it. Just one little step at a time.


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More resources on living simply:

SimpleMom.net
Simple Living Manifesto
Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster

Do you have any resources on living simply?  More importantly, what is simplicity to you?



*a philosophy I want to live by

Living Simply: Time

An extra little tidbit I wanted to add into my simplicity series was about time.

What would your day (or week or month) look like if you decluttered it? Maybe it's not just time for us to declutter our homes but our calendars too?

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There are so many great things available for us to do. But what if the only things demanding your time were those you really needed and really wanted to do?

I have a sneaking suspicion that it. would. be. lovely.





_______________________

Sure, we need to work, we need to eat, we need to wash our clothes. But really, what would you do with your time if it was only those few things you actually needed to do? 
_______________________


My personality tends to become easily overwhelmed, so I've focused on living fairly simply with my time. I can handle a busy day and probably a busy week, but any more than that and I'm just about off my rocker. This requires not doing things. Even good things, noble things.

Personality trait or not, culturally we're just not used to decluttering our days. We "need" to say yes and yes again and pretty soon our days are so full we wonder where the weeks went. Or where our lives went.


I desperately miss coffee break twice a day in Germany. Or a friend just stopping by for tea. Relationally, emotionally and physically, this rest was so refreshing. And there was time in our lives for that.

source

Instead I am busy, you are busy, your friends are busy and weeks and months slip by and still you haven't made time for each other. They say "we need to get together!" and never actually do it.

I don't want my life to slip away from needless busyness.


I want to be able to say "no" purposefully whether or not I have a "good excuse" - just protecting your time is enough of a reason to say no.



I also feel slightly shy writing about this because as I write I am putting in part-time hours at our church for the summer to allow another girl to go on a mission trip, I'm babysitting, teaching piano lessons and running my shop. I have projects up the wazoo to work on (although most are soul-food), all while trying to keep a clean house, meals on the table and be a full-time wife and mommy.

Some seasons of life are busier than others. I think we recognize this. But, like I said before, I just don't want to end up at the end of my life and wonder where the time when. Or have a 16-year old daughter before I know it.

Our time is so precious - a gift from the Creator. Let's use it doing what we really need and want.


(My conclusion on this simplicity series coming tomorrow.)

Living Simply: Food

Food.

A subject I love and hate. I love to eat and used to love to cook (bake, more specifically) but lately, I've just been so hard-pressed to come up with even a simple meal! Read on to see how I've just recently ventured into something that's completely helped motivate me!

I used to eat really well (with a few necessary sweets). Then, I got married.

Okay, so it's not Jeremy's fault, but I wanted to please him, make what he liked, and I wasn't going to make him food and different food for me. So, I just started to eat what he liked and my healthy eating has gone down ever since. Not horrible, but just not great. White rice and pasta instead of whole wheat. Less veggies, fruits, etc. Plus, with our very limited budget, it's difficult to buy fresh - it's just expensive! And organic is almost out of the question.

And when I don't have much choice of food, I get unmotivated very quickly.

But, I've been wanting to find a way to eating less processed (more simply) on a budget. We still eat plenty of processed foods, but I'm working toward more whole foods in our diet, especially since the girl is eating table foods and we want her to eat well, which means we need to also!

"Even though we cannot draw the line precisely at the point where sufficiency ends and excess consumption starts, a standard appropriate to the present world situation would insist that the majority of Americans consume far too much."

So, here are some of the ways we're working on simplifying our diet.

Gardening (although our "property" is not nearly large or fertile enough to support us fully),

Gardening provides organic, pesticide free food for us. A recap on what we're growing this year: corn, watermelon (maybe?), red and yellow onions, garlic, sugar snap peas, green beans, tomatoes, dill, basil and parsley.

Have you heard of the "Dirty Dozen" and the "Clean Fifteen"? If not, follow this link on pesticides, a guide to what you should buy organic and what are fine to buy non-organic. Onions are at the top of the clean list and apples, celery and strawberries are at the top of the dirty list (ones you should always buy organic). This has really opened my eyes to what I'm feeding my family and myself! I don't want our babe to be ingesting traces of 50 different pesticides with every bite of a strawberry! So these I either won't buy or will get organically.

Well, I've finally found a way to do this.

Joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) 

Basically, a CSA is a subscription to a farm to buy produce directly from the farmer every week throughout the growing season (May through October). We are paying $17 a week for the produce (market prices with sales tax added) and it's basically a surprise every week!

In last week's CSA bag (from left): 6 brown eggs, 1 med cabbage, 5 green onions, a HUGE Napa cabbage, 2 cups sugar snap peas, 1 bunch Swiss chard, 1 small bok choy, beets and on the end, our very own green beans.

week 1

My favorite one of the bunch, Swiss chard. Isn't it gorgeous?!

This week's CSA included 1 small cabbage, a bunch of red kale, two large kohlrabi, 1 bag salad greens (3 cups), 14 shallots, 1-1/2 cups red raspberries and two little roma tomatoes from our own garden (a toddler got one of those...boo.)

week 2

And my favorite of the week?? The raspberries! I can hardly wait to make something yummy with them. I grew up with a big red raspberry bush and got so spoiled with free fresh raspberries. Mmm!

For some reason, this way of getting produce has completely transformed my thinking about cooking. I'm motivated by the produce to find new recipes and new ways of cooking. Luckily, my husband is a good trier of new things (thanks love!) and even if he doesn't love it, it's okay. I'm excited to cook now! And I must meal-plan to 1) use all of my produce and 2) stay within my budget after the $17. (As opposed to spending $17 at the farmer's market every Saturday and still not knowing what to get.)

Awesome, right?

I'll be doing a weekly update on what CSA produce we get every week in case anyone is interested in trying it out!!
  
Finally, we were given an awesome anniversary gift. Our teflon cookware (Jeremy bought over 5 years ago) was getting scratched and sticking. It was time for new. Teflon can give off harmful chemicals when it starts to break down and stainless steel is a much better (healthier) option.

We've switched to cooking with stainless steel! It definitely has a learning curve after cooking for so long with non-stick cookware, but it's so nice to stir something with a wire whisk and not be afraid flecks of Teflon are contaminating the food. I love it! (FYI: We did keep a very small omelet non-stick pan for pain free fried eggs.)

 (Ladybug posing with our new 10-piece set of Berghof pots and pans.)

Share your food tips with me! And what do you think of my new adventure into a CSA?

Living Simply: Reusing, Repurposing and Recyling

It's a harsh way of thinking to refer to all consuming as bad, so, I try not to go to that extreme.

"Our days begin with consuming. Consuming is not wrong; in fact it is necessary for life."


However, it is the amount of our consumption (or necessary vs. not) that bothers me.


Do you shower with a tepid 5 gallon bucket or spend 20 minutes under the hot streams?

Do you eat three large meals every day and three snacks, too, ending with a belly fuller than Buddha? 

Do you drive 10 feet to the dumpster instead of walk? 


You know what I'm saying. Perspective, friends. It's all about it.

I just try to keep perspective in mind when I do things and use things. It's helped that we've needed to save money because instead of paper towels we use plates for snacks and cloth rags for cleaning. Instead of paper napkins we use cloth, too. Instead of toilet paper, we use cloth.

PSYCH!

Not quite. (Get the scoop here.)


Anyway, just little choices of reusing help me feel like I'm not just consuming and filling landfills with bunches of disposable junk. (Of course, the disposable diapers we use every day still bothers me ... but rashy bums are a different story for a different day...)


So, you all know that I like to repurpose things. I absolutely LOVE to buy second-hand and make something ugly into something beautiful. And, I'm not a professional at it, but it is so fulfilling knowing that I'm breaking the cycle of buy-new-buy-new-buy-new and using something that has already been loved and won't cease to exist if it goes into a garbage truck. And, if you don't like it, make it better!

(And, please, don't get me wrong. I love a thing with a tag pretty much as much as the next person. We buy plenty of new things. New clothes are my vice - shhh!! A few of the things we would only buy new are mattresses and pillows - used? Ick!) 

My repurpose case(s) in point:

(t-shirts into bloomers)

(old, yucky chair with gorg lines)

(vintage sheet into kitchen valance)

(25 cent record player ... yes! she will make her prettier appearance soon!)

And, just wait until you see the other repurposing projects I have in the works including: a livingroom makeover, a vintage dress into pillow covers, from shirt to baby dress and more! I think repurposing projects are some of my favorite to do and to find. People are just SO creative!!

Finally, we recycle.

source

It's INCREDIBLE how trash adds up when you don't put your paper, plastic, tin, aluminum, cardboard and glass into the recycling bin - it's crazy!! And, after living in Germany (where you can pretty much recycle most everything including food scraps), US recycling seems so limited. How I wish recycling was less about "can we make money on this?" and more about "let's work to keep our planet". Korea, Switzerland, Germany ... all of these first world countries can do it, why not us?

However, instead of complaining, I try to be grateful for what we can recycle and diligently do so. Every couple of weeks, we load it up in the backseat and take it about a mile down the road and dump it.

(I'd love to know exactly where it goes and how recycling is done here in Kansas, but I haven't checked that out yet. Maybe I will in the near future.)


So, get in on the conversation! How do you reuse? Do you like repurposing? What do you think about recycling? 

Living Simply: Decluttering

One of the first and most basic things I think of when I consider living simply is LESS STUFF.
Getting out from underneath the load of STUFF is simplicity to me. Decluttering. Getting rid. Simplifying. Really, if we only kept the stuff we really need versus what we want, our load would be so much lighter.

My mom is really good at this, so I've grown up and still am living the decluttering way. However...

...stuff accumulates SO fast! 

And, I'll be the first to admit it. Even I still have too much stuff. 

"{We're} consuming in an effort to improve our quality of life...Unconsciously, as a culture, we've internalized the belief that material possessions will fill the spiritual vacuum in our souls."

source

So the other week my friend, Valerie, challenged her blog readers to join her in getting rid of 100 things in a week. Here's her challenge and updates here and here.

For some reason, this challenge motivated me to not only declutter but to clean and work on projects too! I've been crazy motivated ever since... weird, but cool. (Thanks Val!)

Before this, I'd several things listed on Craigslist - and all but a few have sold and I was able to thrift a few necessary items with the money (mostly things for our girl: shoes, a few puzzles, vintage and gifts.)

The challenge week I made it to 50 things (and made $8 on it at a garage sale!), and just last Tuesday I donated over 50 more items (books, jewelry, some random vintage and our old pots and pans).

(By the way, can I add that I am so proud of my husband who went through his books, organized them on his bookshelves and got rid of 30+? Love it!!)

One of my main motivations now is because I'm a mom. I'm already going to have a hard enough time raising my child in the consumeristic culture we live in, and I don't want to make consuming hoards of stuff and stuff and more stuff a bad habit. I want her to know you can live well without so much stuff!! (Maybe even better than those with tons of stuff.)

Let me say, there is nothing wrong with liking stuff (I do), or wanting stuff (I definitely do) or buying stuff ... it's just all of the stuff adding up without end can't - won't - doesn't satisfy.

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(Sidenote: Now, my "picking up projects" posts may seem in direct contradiction to my decluttering, but there are a few differences. First, I am repurposing them (see tomorrow's post) - one of my many ways of living simply. Second, I am only keeping them until they are ready to sell. Really, it's just one way of including others in this repurposing and reusing cycle - I can't reuse everything! But I can beautify things, make a little money along the way, feed my soul, and encourage others in the way of reusing.)

What do you think? How does clutter affect you?

Living simply. Is it really that simple?

"One Wall Street banker put it bluntly: 'net worth equals self worth.' Under this definition, there is no such thing as enough." 

Ever since I got back from Haiti I've struggled with what life should look like for me. I've been blessed to experience life outside of the borders of the US and after living in a third world country, your world can't help but be rocked. 


I've been on one end of the spectrum before Haiti, wanting nice things, designer jeans, diamonds, lots of makeup. And I've been to the other side after Haiti, angry, refusing to spent any extra money,  bought no new clothing, secretly criticizing those who did, and basically feeling "better" than those who didn't care (so-to-speak) about other people in the world. 


I'm happy to say that I've fallen somewhere in between since then (where I want to be) but how I'm supposed to live in light of my experiences and knowledge has been and always will be a struggle. Sigh. Living out a paradox is so difficult.


How do I live in this culture (America) in spite of and alongside my experiences?

In the last couple of years I've run into a lot of blogs and websites talking about living simply. Living simply seems to best fit my struggle.

*********


And then they have post after post after post about cloth diapering and and recycling and reusing and organic food and saving and spending and this and that and on and on... 


... and while I have a desire to live simply, all I could think was, "Is living simply really that simple? 'Cause it sure seems complicated to me!" 


I wanted to either go curl up in bed until the world went away or run away and become Amish.

Well, obviously, neither of those were good options and I didn't actually act on either of them. 




Hence, throughout my processing, comes this series of posts. I've really spent a good year thinking about what simplicity looks like to me, how it should be acted upon and what I should expect of myself and other people. 


I think simple is the best way to live, but not everyone is going to live that way. Heck, everyone's definition of simplicity is different! We're all different! It's okay. 

(Oh, and this post here just about sums it up for me.)




*all quotes this week taken from Simpler Living, Compassionate Life

Favorite Recipe: Dark Chocolate Muffins

I made one of my favorite muffin recipes on a whim a couple of days ago. So yum. I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

It's actually a dieters' recipe, so it has some strange ingredients, but why can't it be one of my favorites?! Don't turn your nose up at the weird ingredients until you try them. You'll be surprised too! I just sneak in quite a few more chocolate chips and you have yourself a scrumptious, filling dark chocolate muffin recipe. And these aren't your boxed fluff muffins, nor are they cupcakes. A perfect mix of in between and homemade goodness. (Plus they almost taste better the next day!)

Dark Chocolate Mini Muffins

1-1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. molasses
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (or about a cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat about 48 mini or 18 regular muffin cups with cooking spray, set aside. In a bowl, combine flours, sugars, coca powder, soda and 1/4 tsp. salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside. In another bowl combine milk, applesauce, oil, molasses, vinegar, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Stir in half of the chocolate pieces. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each between 1/2-2/3 full. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Bake minis for 8-10 minutes or regular for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes. Remove and serve warm or cool completely and freeze for up to 3 months.

YUM!

Some neat nursery additions.

I'm horribly late to the draw on this one. But last year, we added some fun little additions to Ladybug's room and I wanted to show them off.

For Christmas, Uncle Ryan and Erin got her the cutest little canvas growth chart. Very needed to chart this girl's growth! I think I'll measure her on birthdays and half-birthdays for now.  There are two little marks down at the bottom at 28" (12 months) and 31" (18 months). Yay for sweet, sweet growth charts. As long as she doesn't rip it off the wall, we're good.

A verse I can't stop relating to our sweet little girl after all of the troubles we had getting her here.
So I made some subway art for her room. I still have yet to hang it up, but I kind of like it on her side table. So, there it stays for now. Love these IKEA frames that hold 8-1/2" x 11" paper. So convenient not to edit to 8x10!

Aunt Jenn and Uncle Shawn made this amazing letter art for her first birthday last year and it sits on her big shelf. So pretty and creative! I love it - something that isn't too babyish that will grow with her.

Remember my post about nursery curtains? No, of course you don't. It's been over a year!! Well, friends, I've finally taken your advice and this weekend I finished her curtains. Hip hip hooray!

(Excuse the photos - it's really difficult to photograph a sunny window!!) I prefer curtains to the floor or short, but these aren't too bad for in between. I'm so happy I finished these - I hate unfinished projects.

Yay! Love these additions. Thanks to the aunties and uncles who contributed.