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1. pillowcase dress
A while back I made THESE pillowcase dresses. Like the t-shirt skirts, I thought the project went smoothly, and always planned to get back to the idea. But, like the skirts, I never did. I did save these links as cute ideas though…
Jen, at Red Instead, has this tutorial.
Leslie also has a tutorial up at her blog, A Room Somewhere. I enjoy reading Leslie’s blog regularly, by the way.
And then there’s Susan’s tutorial on Freshly Picked
2. boston terrier puppies
I don’t actually have Boston Terriers, but my parents do, and they love them to death. They have three of them actually - two females and a male. THe male is virtually impossible to photograph, but here are the two females…
3. dobson ron paul
This search term is interesting to me for many different reasons. The search usually takes people to the post about the open letter to Dr. Dobson. The interesting thing to me, is that any leader in the Christian community can carry so much weight that his endorsement of any political candidate is crucial to that candidacy. It’s also amazing that Christians are so willing to not think, and instead allow a “spiritual geru” to do their thinking for them. We seem to be like sheep who confuse a slightly larger, more prominent sheep for The Shepherd.
4. home crafts
This is one of my favorite topics, right up there with thrifting!
5. baseball posters
I have no idea why this search would lead to my blog. I don’t own any baseball posters, and don’t really have any interest in them. But hello, people searching for baseball posters! Can I interest you in a cup of coffee and photos of my daughters? They’re much cuter than big stinky baseball players anyway. And they sweat less. Not that a poster sweats, but you’d probably have the impression of sweat every time you looked at your poster.
6. embroidery patterns
I love anything with vintage embroidery - especially pillowcases. I wish I could embroidery, but I can’t ever make it look right. I envision all these sweet, simple little girls dresses in natural fibers and neutral colors with charming little embroidered accents.
Beetastic has an amazing collection of vintage embroidery finds. I love to browse through her photostream.
7. seashell crafts
I assume that this search leads to Gentlewood Cottage because of the wreath which I made for Christmas two years ago…
8. marme
The girls’ name for my mom. The name was chosen by my sister-in-law, Delana. I insisted that I got to choose what our kids would call my dad, so he’s Granddad.
9. retro homemaking
An endlessly fun topic. But really, there’s not much difference in Retro Homemaking, and Modern Homemaking, when it comes to the technique - it’s the mentality that’s different. Maybe that should be a whole ‘nother post for a whole ‘nother time.
10. vintage picnic
Ahh the romance…
We used to do this sort of thing more often pre-kid. Maybe someday it won’t seem so daunting and we’ll do it more often again.
You could serve any food at a “vintage” picnic. The romance is in the presentation. Chipped vintage plates with cheery colored flowers, sparkling citrus soda served in real glasses, and strong black coffee in chunky vintage coffee mugs are all essential. Someday I would love to find a genuine red-checkered table cloth to add to my picnic stash. If you’re lucky enough, you will dine on a grassy slope, overlooking a smooth jazz or a big band concert playing in the distance.
In the “old days” we took a book and read for hours. Maybe in the future we will enjoy that again, this time with our children flying kites and chasing butterflies in the distance.
11. love husband
This search thrills me. It’s like Google saw that search and thought “Who was that lady who writes that blog? Don’t you think it’s pretty obvious that she loves her husband? Let’s add that as a search result.” Yup, it must have gone something like that.
12. pioneer spider cooking pan
What? You lost me on that one.
13. handsome husband
See number 11. Strike “loves her husband?”. Insert “has a handsome husband?”.
I’ve been very fascinated to see how people find my blog. Some searches I cannot understand. Some searches I wish I could answer in a more useful manner. Some I just can’t even repeat on this Family Friendly blog. But they all fascinate me.
1. t-shirt reconstruction and all it’s variations.
I can’t believe how popular this search is. It is my number one search term, and the second search term is simply a variation on the spelling. I while back a reconstructed a large t-shirt into two cute little skirts, and thought the project went very well. I’ve saved many a t0shirt, and nearly as many links, intending to get back to the whole topic, but time has not allowed.
Craftster is an invaluable “idea” place for me. There are tons and tons of interesting clothing reconstruction projects. I can’t believe how creative people can get!
2. vintage shoes
I love vintage shoes. But I don’t really remember ever posting about them. If I weren’t me, and I weren’t hopelessly clumsy, I would surely wear those shoes every single day. They’re from Remix Vintage Shoes. I’d pretty much wear any of their shoes - if I weren’t a klutz.
3. blooming tea
My dear friend Rachel let me in on this stuff. Someday, I’ll actually buy some and try it. I can envision the exact setting… In the meantime, I look at the pictures and imagine…
4. gentlewood cottage
It’s nice when people actually search for the blog by name. It gives me a feeling of existence.
5. thrift shop chic rooms
To me, it’s a satisfying feeling to look around any room in my house and spot the thrifted items. It makes me feel frugal and productive. You know - “she bringeth her food from afar” - except… it’s junk. Making the house cozy with unexpected little finds is just thrilling.
6. steak dinner
Does life get any better than that?
7. sewing room
This is an appropriate search in my estimation, because thanks to my husband, I have a wonderful sewing area. It’s so handy and bright and cheery! I think I’d like it, even if it weren’t mine.
8. khaki skirt
I’m still on the lookout for the “perfect” khaki skirt. It’s kind of elusive, like the “perfect” denim skirt. Maybe someday…
9. vintage inspired dresses
Some of my favorite things in life!
10. vintage things
Now that’s a general search for you. But then again, imagine what you might find…
11. miniature dachshund
Got one. A very pregnant one, in fact.
12. frederick morgan
He’s good, isn’t he?
13. which way is the bus traveling
A very deep and thought provoking question. Which usually leads people to this post.
So that’s it for now. The second edition will be released next Thursday!
I have been a long time reader of Alison’s blog, Brocante Home Chronicles. She is a big proponent of what she calls the Puttery Treat, an idea which I find very enticing.
Then, today I was glancing over Sense and Sensibility (a message forum geared toward historical sewing), an off-topic thread entitled: Taking Care of Yourself as a Mum… got me started thinking.
The train of thought went something like this:
I have a moment every now and then to relax, and when that time comes, I’m usually so overwhelmed that I don’t know what to do, and so waste that moment staring blankly at the computer screen (sad, but true). So, if I wrote down some of the great ideas which the lovely ladies at the S&S forum had given, as well as some of my favorite puttery treats, along with a few of my very own ideas, I could put them all in a pretty jar on my window sill and draw a slip of paper out when I had the time. But next I thought that I could also keep the list right here on Gentlewood Cottage, where I could refer back to it, and add or subtract to the master list as I see fit. Then, the thought struck me, that if I had a copy of the list online anyway, I could copy and paste it into Random.org’s list randomizer, and come up with a single treat that way as well.
So, that’s the long explanation for the list which you will find below.
:: Find a pretty water glass to help motivate me to drink plenty. Add mint leaf or a slice of lemon, lime, or orange in it for prettiness and taste.
:: Go for a walk. Attempt to indulge all five senses on the walk. Watch the clouds, keep an eye out for little critters, new wildflowers, and birds, stop and breathe in the smells, touch the various barks and leaves, listen to the music of the birds and insects, pluck some of the wild raspberries along the pathway.
:: Do a workout video
:: Listen to some classical music with the girls while stretching.
:: Fold a pretty tea towel in half and sew together. Make half inch hems either end and thread elastic through, before adding a ribbon loop and feeling virtuous because now you have a pretty place to store those plastic bags which seem to multiply in our home.
:: Demote a blanket to garden duty and leave it folded in a basket near the back door for chilly Spring evenings outside. Allocate a garden pinny and hang it from a ribbon tied laundry peg on your doorknob.
:: Chill fruit tea in the fridge as you do your housework, then sit down with a pretty little cup and the morning paper as reward for scrubbing the bath so wonderfully well you can see your reflection in it.
:: Make a drama out of lunchtime…select a beautiful tray and the bestest china you own, add a napkin and a tiny bud vase, and sit quietly, meditatively, as you eat…
:: Use white vinegar and a cotton bud to clean the crevices of your phone. (The blasted things get soooo grubby don’t they?) Then give the whole thing a gentle swipe with a cloth scented with lavender or orange blossom.
:: Clean out the girls dresser drawers and add a cotton ball soaked in lavender
:: Hunt out an old fashioned enamel coffee pot and use it to water your houseplants while you wait for the kettle to boil in the morning…
:: Dust your light bulbs with a cloth infused with aromatherapy oil for a gentle scent when you switch them on…
:: Choose a pretty teacup and use it to scoop washing powder into the machine.
“The atmospheric conditions have been very unfavourable lately,” said Owl.
“The what?”
“It has been raining,” explained Owl.
“Yes,” said Christopher Robin. “It has.”
“The flood-level has reached an unprecedented height.”
“The who?”
“There’s a lot of water about,” explained Owl.
Rainy day things:
1. Read.
2. Work on one’s beauty routine. Don’t worry Papa, I watched over the whole activity, very carefully.
3. Plan and organize.
4. Snack on fruit in pretty vintage dishes.
5. Fluff bedding in the dryer, scented with April Fresh Bounty sheets, in preperation for a warm and cozy nap.
6. Snuggle with a heated rice bag to cure heartburn, real or imaginary.
7. Abandon heat bag for a romp in Papa’s recliner.
8. Allow Frances to snuggle with the rice bag.
9. Explore contents of toy box.
10. Nap.
11. Wrap Marme’s birthday presents.
12. Tackle Mount Laundry.
13. And, finally - snuggle up in my chair with coffee and Agatha Christie.
:: Flowers in my kitchen window ::
:: Kinsley experimenting with water ::
:: Sophie. Just being way too cute. ::
:: My handsome and talented brother, Zion ::
:: A ridiculously fat baby foot ::
The niece line up…
:: Maddie ::
:: Bessie ::
:: Natalie ::
You’d think with this much beauty in the family, I’d be a knockout, huh?
:: Even my own daughters are breathtaking! ::
:: And they’re characters, to boot. ::
:: Even Sophie has not very photogenic moments, though ::
Then, there’s the nephews. Just a few, mind you. I have lots.
:: Gage - who has been called things like “bowling ball head” and “Racoon” in his day ::
:: And Glen - who’s about as wirey as they come. Man, can that boy work. ::
Was that thirteen already? Wow!
1. Because who likes taxes? Not Ron Paul!
2. He is Pro-Life and Pro-Liberty.
3. He is Pro-Privacy
4. He voted against the Patriot Act.
6. He is truly tough on immigration.
7. He stands up to the empire.
8. He believes in the Constitution.
9. He is against the US subsidization of China.
10. He has located the terrorist.
11. He supports the troops.
12. But voted against the Iraq War Resolution, before it was popular to oppose the war.
13. And, as he says…”The Social Security crisis is a spending crisis. The program could be saved tomorrow if Congress simply would stop spending so much money…”
And the bonus:
14. He isn’t willing to kick another hornets nest.
…mostly to do with our planned summer vacation…
1. I must get Sophie’s birth certificate application submittes.
2. Pull-ups may work better than diapers - in flight - since diaper changing space may be limited.
3. Make certain to bring binksters for take off and landing.
4. Must pack decongestant for Dan’ sinus problems while landing .
5. Check TSA for what can be in the carry-ons.
6. Dress the babies appropriately.
7. Carefully plan diaper bag essentials.
8. Brush up on travel safety tips.
10. Love these shirts!
11. Decide what to do about the stroller.
12. I’m leaning toward traveling with a sling, instead of a stroller.
2.) Whatta Dress!
3.) Feedback on eBay - would YOU buy from this seller?
4.) Anthill Plaster
5.) Leave it to Beaver - actual letter.
6.) Peonies on a Tabletop - a gorgeous photo from my favorite blog.
7.)
Taking Liberty: Car thief blunders
8). Housewifely Art
9).
Cox and Cox - Scrumptiously perfect goodies for your child
10). The Winnie the Pooh Bomber
11). Vintage Valise from Shop Parcel
12).
Stripy Monkey
Thirteen things I learned from our trip to the emergency room last night…
1. Never say anything which you don’t intend to be taken very literally. For example, don’t say “I’ve been alternating Tylenol with warm baths and cool washcloths to lower her fever”. It will be misconstrued. You will be hearing things like “they have a religious issue with Tylenol” muttered from one nurse to another all evening long.
2. If you do make the mistake mentioned in number one, then the only possible way to rectify the situation is to swear your undying love for Tylenol as quickly as possible. “No - I have no problem with Tylenol - in fact, I love the stuff. Yup, dose ‘er up!” seemed to work for me.
3. When you are 18 months old, Old MacDonald Had a Farm can be a very comforting song. Even when sung while having blood drawn from your tiny arm, and through large hot tears running down your face.
4. People in strange blue suits cannot be trusted. If one ever comes into your room, make every effort to convince one or both of your parents to remove you from that room as quickly as possible.
5. X-ray machines ten to be very traumatic and indeed heartbreaking to an 18-month old.
6. If you are unfortunate enough to become acquainted with an x-ray machine, then anyone in your family can be comforting - even your three month old sister.
7. However, even if you call as loudly as your baby lungs allow, your baby sister may not be able to hear or respond to your pleas for help.
8. Another tactic which you may consider: in a very forceful voice, bade the nurses operating the x-ray machine a firm goodbye. Repeatedly. Remember to be polite but forceful. This has mixed results, and while it did not work for Kinsley last night, it is still worth attempting.
9. Just because nurses repeatedly offer to bring you a Popsicle, they probably will never actually get around to bringing one. Even if you ask nicely.
10. If the nurses need a urine sample - that will be the one time that you will not be able to pee.
11. The sticky tape on the top of the urine sample collection bag can be very painful to remove. It may cause apprehension anytime your diaper is changed, for quite some time.
12. There is a special clause to the law of gravity when one is in a hospital. This also applies to Walmart and other public places of dubious cleanliness. The clause is this: anytime a binkster falls from a baby’s mouth or hands, it must land nipple down.
13. When a baby has been poked, prodded, stuck, and otherwise traumatized for an evening, nothing sounds better to her than “my bed”!
~After a few days of severe illness, we phoned our emergency doctor’s office and were told that her symptoms sounded like meningitis and that we needed to take her to the emergency room. If it were meningitis, we might have only had a number of hours to react correctly. In the end, Kinsley did not have meningitis. In fact, she was diagnosed with a sore throat and a fever. It’s hard to say if I regret taking her in or not. On the one hand, I never thought I’d be one of those people who run to the ER for a sore throat and fever. On the other hand, she’d had a fever of 103*-105* for nearly 30 hours, and seemed to have neck pain and a suspicious rash one her neck, and the nurse was of the opinion that she was in danger of seizures at any moment from the fever alone. It’s nice to know that it’s not life threatening at this point.~
1. “Let them eat cake.” - Marie Antoinette
2. “Religion is the opiate of the masses” — Karl Marx. The communist philosopher’s full quote was: “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”
3. “Elementary, my dear Watson” — Sherlock Holmes. Author Arthur Conan Doyle never wrote these words for his pipe-smoking detective. The quote actually appeared in a film review in the New York Times in 1929.
3. “You dirty rat” — James Cagney. Anyone impersonating the Hollywood legend uses this phrase, even though it was never uttered by Cagney in any movie.
4. “Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well.” — Hamlet. William Shakespeare’s line actually reads: “Alas poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.”
5. “Beam me up, Scotty” — Captain Kirk. The closest Star Trek’s captain came to using this phrase was “Beam us up, Mr Scott.”
6. “Me Tarzan, you Jane” — Tarzan. This phrase does not appear in any Tarzan film, nor in the book by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
7. “Spare the rod, spoil the child” — The Bible. The correct quote from Proverbs 13:24 is: “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”
8. “Congressmen who willfully take action during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs, and should be arrested, exiled or hanged”
- Lincoln It was actually written by J. Michael Waller in a piece he wrote for Insight magazine in December of 2003.
9. “Blood, Sweat, and Tears” - Winston Churchill The correct quote: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.”
10. “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” - Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. patent office.
11. “Events, dear boy, events” - Harold Macmillan (the prime minister). This is reported-but-in-reality-never-made-response when asked to name the greatest difficulty facing a prime minister. He actually said: “The opposition of events.”
12. “Crisis? What crisis?” - James Callaghan, 1979 What he really said: “I don’t think other people in the world would share the view that there is mounting chaos.”
And while this is not a misquote it is a quote verbatum which is scarcely attributed to either Abraham Lincoln himself, or “The Spirit of Lincoln”, and so will be included in this collection.
13. I have no purpose to introduce political and social equality between the white and black races. There is a physical difference between the two, which in my judgment, will probably forever forbid their living together upon the footing of perfect equality; and inasmuch as it becomes a necessity that there must be a difference, I, as well as Judge Douglas, am in favor of the race to which I belong having the superior position. I have never said anything to the contrary… perfect social and political equality with the Negro is but a specious and fantastic arrangement of words, by which a man can prove a horse chestnut to be a chestnut horse… Free them, and make them politically and socially our equals? My own feelings will not admit of this . . . . We cannot, then, make them equals.” - Lincoln, August 21, 1858 Ottawa, Illinois
Thirteen Reasons I Adore My Husband
I adore his sense of humor. Could you be parents of a toddler and a newborn and survive without a sense of humor?
I love how tender he is with our daughters.
He still writes the most amazing love letters.
I love it that he holds me at night (whenever Sophie allows).
I love his sentimentality.
I love it that he knows to the day how long we’ve been married and never forgets a month anniversary.
He likes to read to me while I take a bath.
I love it that he always knows if something is bothering me. And knows just how to make me talk about it.
I love the fact that he’s blind to all my baby weight. However, I think he may be in denial.
I love the fact that we never argue. Dan says he doesn’t allow it.
I love it that he still sings “our” love song to me at night.
There is this certain spot on the highway (on our way home from anywhere) where we held hands as he took me home the night before our wedding. We have held hands at that spot every single time we’ve driven past - ever since.
I adore him because he is the Prince from all my girlish dreams.
Thirteen things I’m sewing…
1. A dress for my sister…
2. Complete with bolero…
3. And handbag. All in a lovely combination of wine colored gingham and rose floral.
4. A dress for my mom. From the same rose print as my sister’s dress.
5. Pink poodle skirts for my girls, complete with tiny poodles, the black belt, and poofy slips.
6. White sailor dresses for my little girls.
7. A total of eight little vintage style smocks for my girls. Four each with corresponding bloomers in the most charming floral and gingham prints.
8. A skirt very similar to this one, in the same prints as my girls smocks.
9. Two shirts for my mom, a sleevless one and one with bell sleeves, in combinations of the prints which I am using for my skirts and the girls smocks.
10. Two shirts for my sister (the same fabric plan as above).
11. A pair of gauchos for my sister which will match and can be worn with either of her two tops.
12. A black silky kimono for myself to wear to my grandparents 50th anniversary dinner. (The same event that Mom and Hannah will be wearing their new dresses, and which my girls will wear their poodle skirts [the party is a fifties theme]).
13. A small assortment of hats, bonnets and aprons to complete the girls summer wardrobes.
I promise pictures as the various projects are finished.
| Thirteen things I love about my babies
*The way they smell. They have very distinctly different and yet totally yummy scents. *Sophie’s beefy shoulders. *Kinsley’s long light eyelashes. *Sophie’s wrinkly arms. *Kinsley’s sweet belly button. *Sophie’s sticking up hair. *Kinsley’s silky natural bob. *Sophie’s opposable toe. *Kinsley’s little block feet. *The way Sophie feels when she’s nursing. *The way Kinsley gets ten pounds heavier and ten degrees warmer when she falls asleep. *The way the whites of their eyes are tinted blue. *The way they love each other and put up with each other. Kinsley seems to know that Sophie’s to small to be blamed for her crying and grabbing onto hair and such things, and Sophie puts up with Kinsley’s everwhelming physical loving much better than I would have thought… |
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